More parks, fewer offices? How the coronavirus will change city centers

It seems that the exception is Japan where the lack of free public spaces is apparent!

I don't think Tokyo can survive as a doughnut.

“doughnut” cities have been around for about 40 years, ever since shopping malls were built outside the city and businesses moved to the malls, people moved to the suburbs for the cheaper land/mortgage, and schools, especially universities, were moved into the country side.

It would be nice to live in a 15-minute city, though. Except, I do now because I don’t live in a megalopolis like Tokyo or Shanghai.

I find urban planning a very interesting topic, the way in which people's environments shape how they live.

Coronavirus has been accelerating some existing trends, toward walkability and cycling, but the social distancing aspect also encourages more driving to avoid public transport. In Japan, the number of people learning to drive increased in 2020 after falling for many years. For countries with hard lockdowns, access to green spaces will have affected individual experiences of the measures.

The classic donut city was Detroit after the so-called "white flight". There are some great documentaries about it, including the Julian Temple one.

Reckless- I suspect you are right, either the vaccine makes life like it was (doubtful) or people will leave cities that have closed restaurants, bars and gyms. For a price, everything will be rented, just not the price that was charged. BC and AC economics (before and after Covid)

Don't know about getting a bunch of buyers for skyscraper apartments to replace businesses when all those things are limited, and living (and riding elevators) up close and personal with others.

The death of inner cities has been grossly exaggerated. Businesses will come back, restaurants will re open and life will start again. After the pandemic people will be desperate to get back to normal and people will be more keen on working away from home, travelling, eating out etc. I know I will be.

More parka would be very welcome.

How public transport moves forward is dependent on the extent to which people retain the social distancing of the pandemic or revert to normal. Concerns over global warming and the environmental heath impact of vehicles (more than just exhaust) will again start to reduce driving in cities.

Whether green areas increase in a city will depend on the culture and responsiveness of local politicians to public pressure/demands. Some cities are already quite green while others are a concrete nightmare.

In the long run, cities will evolve to meet what people require of them or cease to exist. Darwinian forces are applicable to cities as well as living organisms.